World Monuments Fund

05/30/2026

World Monuments Fund is pleased to announce a new partnership with Milan’s Poldi Pezzoli Museum to restore the museum’s iconic Golden Room—an innovative example of immersive curatorial design destroyed during World War II.

One of Europe’s most important house museums, the Poldi Pezzoli is known for pioneering the period-room concept of museum curation and design. This project, led by WMF’s new Italian office, will restore the Golden Room’s original architectural harmony and curatorial vision.

Learn more about WMF’s first project in Milan: https://www.wmf.org/monuments/poldi-pezzoli-museum

05/28/2026

Climate change is one of the most pressing threats to global cultural heritage—impacting 80% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Join WMF in advancing climate solutions for heritage sites through our Cultivating Resilience program! Submit a nomination to become part of a global network of heritage gardens and greenspaces working to assess climate risks, share knowledge, and develop projects that strengthen resilience.

Representatives and professionals associated with greenspaces are invited to nominate their site by June 20 at 11:59pm ET:

World Monuments Fund (WMF) is seeking proposals to join Cultivating Resilience, our signature program strengthening the ability of historic gardens and designed landscapes to adapt to the impacts of climate change

05/27/2026

Step inside WMF’s newest project at Milan’s Museum.

An innovative museum that pioneered the concept of the period room, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum was badly damaged during World War II. The ambitious first project of our new global office will return the central gallery of this famous house museum to its original glory.

Visit the 🔗 in our bio to learn more.

05/25/2026

World Monuments Fund (WMF) is pleased to announce the opening of our Italy office in Milan—an important milestone in our 60-year commitment to the country’s heritage.

Building on more than six decades of work in Italy, with over 80 projects supported and more than $23.5M raised, this new presence strengthens our ability to collaborate closely with Italian partners and invest in long-term heritage conservation.

The opening also marks the launch of WMF's first project in Milan: the restoration of the Golden Room at the Casa Museo Poldi Pezzoli, one of Europe’s most important historic house museums.

Read more: https://www.wmf.org/press-releases/italy-office-opening

05/22/2026

Erdene Zuu Buddhist Monastery is one of the few Buddhist sites to survive decades of anti-religious crackdowns in Mongolia. Today, it faces threats from environmental conditions and limited conservation capacity.

After placing the site on the 2025 World Monuments Watch, World Monuments Fund is working to restore key structures around the temple complex, like the Golden Stupa, while training a new generation of local conservation professionals.

Discover our new project: https://www.wmf.org/monuments/erdene-zuu-buddhist-monastery
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World Monuments Fund’s work at the Erdene Zuu Monastery has been made possible, in part, by support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and the U.S. Embassy Ulaanbaatar.

05/18/2026

Restoration in progress 🚧

Four months after the February 2023 earthquakes that struck the Historic City of Antakya, Türkiye, the WMF team first encountered the rubble of the Antakya Greek Orthodox Church.

Since then, with the support of the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, WMF completed emergency stabilization at the church, including clearing debris, salvaging architectural fragments, and installing temporary structural supports. Now, with renewed support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, and additional support from the AXA Foundation for Human Progress, we are developing a comprehensive reconstruction plan for the church.

Explore our work across historic Antakya: https://www.wmf.org/monuments/antakya-earthquake-heritage-sites
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World Monuments Fund’s work at the Historic City of Antakya has been made possible, in part, by support from the AXA Foundation for Human Progress, Lead Partner of the World Monuments Watch; and the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and U.S. Mission to Türkiye.

05/15/2026

We’re live at TEFAF New York!

World Monuments Fund is proud to kick off the first day of TEFAF New York as a Benefit Partner.

Discover our inaugural TEFAF New York presentation, and learn more about WMF’s work, at booth 105 at the Park Avenue Armory. On view through Tuesday, May 19!

📸: Alfonso Lozano

05/09/2026

From London’s Saint Paul’s Cathedral to Spain's Alhambra, WMF has worked at some of Europe’s most iconic heritage sites. This , explore five of these historic places:

📍Saint Paul’s Cathedral, United Kingdom
📍Alhambra, Spain
📍Jerónimos Cloister and Church, Portugal
📍Venice, Italy
📍Notre-Dame of Paris, France

05/08/2026

World Monuments Fund, Los Angeles Conservancy , and Architectural Resources Group are honored to receive California Preservation Foundation’s Trustees’ Award for Excellence for our Rapid-Response Heritage Documentation project in the wake of the devastating January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

After a system of wildfires burned over 50,000 acres across Los Angeles County, destroying more than 16,000 structures, World Monuments Fund partnered with Los Angeles Conservancy and Architectural Resources Group to ensure that heritage sites were accounted for in post-disaster documentation and recovery operations.

Learn more about this award: https://www.wmf.org/news/california-preservation-foundations-2026-trustees-award

📸 courtesy of Rico Mandel

05/04/2026

Happy Birthday to Keith Haring, an iconic American artist and activist.

In 2003, Haring’s final artwork, “The Life of Christ,” a gilded bronze triptych, was installed in Paris’s Church of Saint-Eustache. As one of the first churches in Paris to host a parish-based support group for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the triptych encapsulates the church's history as a place of acceptance and advocacy.

This artwork still stands in the church’s Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Chapel as a powerful testament to Haring’s enduring legacy and the church’s long-standing commitment to inclusivity. But in recent years, the chapel that houses this moving piece was in urgent need of conservation.

In 2025, WMF, alongside the City of Paris, the owner of the monument, and the Saint‑Eustache parish, launched a new phase of work at Saint-Eustache to restore the chapel’s wall paintings and shine a light on the space's connection to HIV/AIDS advocacy. This initiative builds on earlier efforts: the Saint‑Joseph Chapel was restored in 2023 with WMF’s support, and interpretive panels have since been installed throughout the church to illuminate this overlooked history.

📸 courtesy of Jean-Marc-Moser.
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World Monuments Fund's work at the Church of Saint-Eustache has been made possible, in part, by support from The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust; the Selz Foundation; Anthony V. Thompson; Semmaris; and Alice Goldet.